Yale Football Blog

The Bulldogs head to the Big Apple to square off against the Columbia Lions this Saturday for a Halloween showdown. Kickoff is slated for noon, and the game will air on ESPN+.

Columbia enters the contest with a 4-2 (1-2 Ivy) record, with blowout losses to Princeton and Dartmouth but a nail-biting win over Penn after the infamous kicking fiasco. This contest seems like it could follow a similar path to that Quaker game with a single play deciding the victor.

Columbia senior QB Chase Goodwin (6’2”, 223 lbs.) seems like he’s been around for an eternity and has completed 56.3% of his passes for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s developed into a dangerous passer but can struggle with accuracy and is not the most mobile out there. Senior RB Griffin Johnson (5’11”, 200 lbs.) has been stellar with 559 yards (4.7 YPC) and 3 touchdowns. Freshman WR Bryce Coleman (6’4”, 190 lbs.) has taken the league by storm with 529 receiving yards and a whopping 9 touchdowns as he appears a lock to win Ivy League Freshman of the Year. Goodwin can simply lob up deep balls to Coleman, who easily boxes out small corners with his frame. Junior WR Hutch Crow (6’1”, 192 lbs.) has been very effective with 35 catches for 442 yards as teams heavily tilt coverages towards Coleman. Senior TE Braden Dougherty (6’5”, 246 lbs.) is targeted frequently in the passing game with 15 grabs and was an Ivy League Honorable Mention selection two years ago. Columbia’s offensive line is lighter than most at 292.0 lbs. across the board and returns just one starter from a year ago. Fourteen sacks have been surrendered with 3.6 yards per carry on average. Columbia will be salivating at the thought of Coleman running freely through the secondary, so we can’t just throw a single corner or safety his way as we’ve seen how that played out versus Rhode Island. The Elis need solid play up front to limit Johnson from moving the chains. Columbia typically wins the time of possession battle (32:14 average) and has the top passing offense in terms of yardage in the conference, so it’s a well-rounded unit that’s another tough matchup for our defense, which is still finding its way.

The Lions’ defense is led by senior LB AJ George (6’1”, 220 lbs.), who has been making plays all over the field with 42 tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery. Sophomore LB Drew Burmeister (6’2”, 223 lbs.) returns after he posted 8 tackles versus Yale a year ago. Junior DL Keller Patterson (6’1”, 290 lbs.) is very strong at the point of attack and has blown up opponents on his way to 24 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks. Sophomore DL Julius Patton (6’4”, 260 lbs.) is another force at the line of scrimmage with 17 tackles and a sack. Junior DB Jeremiah Douglas (6’2”, 192 lbs.) has played well this season with 31 tackles and a sack. Sophomore DB Md Awe (6’0”, 180 lbs.) has a crazy 9 pass breakups and an interception as a ballhawk in the secondary. Junior DB Carter McCray (6’0”, 178 lbs.) is a returning starter with 20 tackles and a pick through six games. Columbia’s defense has allowed 4.9 YPC, 7.5 yards per passing attempt, and is ranked last in scoring defense in the Ivy League. Yale has to find a way to limit the turnovers and put points on the board. When you see HDK as the top rusher in league statistics along with Santiago and Anderson as 1 and 2 in receiving, Yale should not be 1-2 in league play, but all the yardage has not translated to enough touchdowns. The Elis cannot force balls to Santiago or Anderson as teams will really cling onto the strategy of building the coverage around these two threats at the expense of a softer run defense. FCS referees can never be relied upon, especially not in the modern sports gambling era.

Senior K Hugo Merry (6’3”, 186 lbs.) is a perfect 5 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards. Junior P Tommy Sleeman (6’2”, 231 lbs.) averages 41.2 yards per punt and has pinned opponents inside the red zone on 8 occasions.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Lions!

The Bulldogs fell to the Penn Quakers in a 24-21 loss in Philadelphia as the Elis dropped to 3-3 with slim hopes of capturing an Ivy title.

The offensive game plan initially showed promise with Anderson taking two short catches to the end zone and HDK ripping off a big rushing touchdown, but a lack of halftime adjustments and zero offensive points in the second half destroyed any hopes of a victory. Reno was off the mark once again in the passing game, completing just 61.8% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Without Anderson taking short catches for long distances, Reno’s stats would have looked far worse. One interception was simply given to Penn on a silver platter as Reno assumed there was an offsides penalty, while the other interceptions were terrible decisions to throw to Santiago in double or triple coverage. Given all that Reno has been through in the last few weeks, it’s understandable to observe this rapid mental collapse, but it’s now left the Elis with their backs against the wall and no viable option at signal caller. Run blocking was not as consistent as last week’s, yet it still allowed HDK to run for 107 yards (5.4 ypc) and a touchdown. Reno was sacked on one occasion, although he did not even attempt to scramble and just collapsed to the floor at the sight of pressure. Anderson, Santiago and Jones all played well despite the passing limitations. Smith and Wagner each hauled in one catch, but Wagner’s attitude issues led to two incidents, one of which drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Grant has been the heart and soul of the defense for much of the season, but his costly errors combined with the leaky secondary limited Yale’s defensive capabilities. Grant was run over on third-and-goal by a freshman quarterback, which gave Penn additional yardage and the confidence to punch it in on fourth-and-goal. On Penn’s second touchdown, Grant simply blew the coverage on a tight end who streaked past him for a score. On Penn’s final score, Grant had been ejected a play earlier for targeting, and Penn easily rushed for a long touchdown with sophomore LB Lucas Price forced into action. Coverage and tackling from Daniyan and Eastep were atrocious, while Webster and Barkley-Smith also had targets simply race past them. Coaches Murphy, Rice and McGowan all deserve to be on the hot seat for the disastrous play from the secondary and linebackers. Schutzman had the best contest of his career with 7 tackles and a sack, but the struggles from Grant, Partin and Price overshadowed his efforts. Tackling was poor across the board, and trying to tackle a big running quarterback with a banged-up knee high just lacks common sense (cue the Cole Champion reel of legally destroying knees). Defensive line play was just average, as Penn racked up 3.9 yards per carry and passing pressure was inconsistent.

Despite how poorly the Bulldogs played offensively and defensively, Yale still would have had a chance to win the contest if not for poor special teams play. A bad snap on a punt allowed Penn to take over near the 20-yard line and easily march in for a score. Maltarich was ineffective as a kick returner, and the return team was also cited for holding. Yale had a chance to even the score at 24-24 in the waning seconds, but a delay of game on a successful field goal pushed them back five yards, and the ensuing kick fell yards short of a tie game.

Anyone with any institutional knowledge at the athletics office should have turned this game down based on the high number of tragic games we’ve played on Friday nights, but it was likely agreed to by a Chun disciple from Colgate whose only motivation is brownnosing the inept AD. We appear to be entering a very dark period of Yale football history if drastic measures aren’t taken immediately.

The Bulldogs head to the City of Brotherly Love to square off against the Penn Quakers in a Friday night clash. Kickoff is set for 7 PM, and the game will air on ESPNU.

Penn enters the contest at 2-3 (0-2 Ivy) with losses to Lehigh, Dartmouth, and Columbia. The Quakers will really be fired up for this contest as they lost a heartbreaker last week in the waning seconds when they failed to stop the clock, ran their kicking unit out, noticed they were missing the kicker, ran their kicker out, and had a disjointed attempt that was missed for the loss. The Dartmouth loss was a hard-fought battle, and the Quakers managed to keep Lehigh in check for most of that contest.

The Quakers have two viable options at QB in freshman Miles Teodecki (6’3”, 215 lbs.) and junior Karson Siqueiros-Lasky (6’1”, 190 lbs.). Teodecki was able to secure the starting role as a first-year despite Siqueiros-Lasky being named the starter during media day, and he looks poised to develop into a great one in the league. Siqueiros-Lasky has been playing the last few weeks after a minor injury to Teodecki and rallied the squad for a win over Howard before an up-and-down performance against Columbia with 374 passing yards and 2 TDs but 4 costly picks. Teodecki leads Penn in rushing and passing as a young dual threat, running for 166 yards (4.7 YPC) and throwing for 607 yards, 2 TDs, and 3 interceptions. The running back carries have been spread out between junior Dante West (5’11”, 200 lbs.), sophomore Tommy Lafayette (6’0”, 200 lbs.), and senior Sean Williams Jr. (5’10”, 195 lbs.). Columbia was able to keep their backs in check last week with just 72 yards on 29 attempts. Freshman WR Mason Page (6’2”, 190 lbs.) leads Penn in receiving yards with 301 and 2 TDs. Sophomore WR Isaac Lee (6’0”, 175 lbs.) dominated Columbia with 10 catches for 158 yards. Junior WR Ronan Johannson (6’2”, 195 lbs.) is another dangerous target, averaging 15.9 yards per catch. Junior TE Jack Donnelly (6’2”, 235 lbs.) gets into the mix in the passing game with 11 grabs and a touchdown, while sophomore TE Michael Hegarty (6’5”, 230 lbs.) returns with starting experience. The offensive line averages 298 lbs. across the board with 3 returning starters. The line has been inconsistent, with 3.1 yards per carry and 9 sacks allowed, but Penn’s quarterbacks are fairly mobile in the pocket. The keys to victory this week start up front with solid pass pressure from the defensive tackles and ends. Our secondary has to find its footing this week with DBs keeping everything in front of them, as Penn has multiple weapons at its disposal.

Penn’s defense has been very stingy and is allowing just 252.4 yards of total offense per game. The Quakers are phenomenal on third downs, holding opponents to just a 29.9% conversion rate, and nearly as good on fourth downs at 37.5%. Senior LB Zach Darche (6’1”, 220 lbs.) leads the Quakers with 47 tackles as a rare linebacker and long snapper combo. Senior LB Cole Olsztyn (6’1”, 225 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2025 who is second on the squad with 29 tackles and is solid in pass coverage. Senior DB Josh Narcisse (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is a veteran, multi-year starter at strong safety, while junior DB Ty Cortes (6’0”, 200 lbs.) was an honorable-mention All-Ivy player in 2025. Senior DB Jayden Drayton (5’10”, 175 lbs.) was second-team All-Ivy in 2025. Junior DL Connor Martin (6’4”, 255 lbs.) has been a handful for teams to contain, and the three primary defensive linemen are all 6’4”, which has really thrown off passing lanes for opponents. Reno is certainly susceptible to batted-down passes and will need to proceed with caution in that area. Third-down play calling will need to be on point this week, and the Bulldogs have to find ways to keep drives alive that result in touchdowns. If they want to mimic Rhode Island with a heavy focus on Santiago and Anderson, the Elis will need to get Smith, Jones, Kemp, and Wagner into the fold early on, along with a dose of HDK. Getting Reno into a groove in the first quarter will be the most vital aspect of the contest.

Sophomore K Mason Walters (5’11”, 180 lbs.) will be looking for redemption after last week’s blunder and has connected on 4 of 9 field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards. Freshman P Nate Kashey (6’3”, 190 lbs.) averages 38.1 yards per punt. Drayton is a very talented returner, averaging 27.7 yards per kickoff return with a long of 66 yards, plus 7.7 yards per punt return. In what appears to be a slugfest tonight, the team that wins on special teams will walk away victorious.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Quakers!

The Bulldogs fell to the Rams of Rhode Island by a score of 23–41 in an ugly loss at The Bowl.

Reno was uncharacteristically off the mark, particularly in the first half, as he finished with a meager 105 yards and a completion rate under 40% in his worst performance to date. Arm strength, accuracy, and decision-making were all not up to par, leaving fans to question whether it’s the physical ailment from his arm injury or mental anguish leading to what we witnessed. It’s a maddening loss when you consider how dominant the ground game was, with DHK going off for 243 yards and a touchdown. Rhode Island’s game plan was simply to shut down Santiago and Anderson, and Yale’s staff could not scheme well enough around that to put points on the board. Third-down playcalling was as bad as it gets, and Cahill treats fourth downs haphazardly, leading to turnovers on downs or zero points after drives. There was no sense of urgency in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter despite burning much of the third quarter on a drive that yielded 3 points. One of the more sickening drives occurred early in the fourth quarter down ten points: following a nice defensive stand, the Bulldogs came out and ran Hopping up the gut twice to put all the pressure on a struggling Reno on the ensuing downs. Santiago shined when he could with a few unbelievable catches, while Anderson was effectively neutralized aside from great returns. Smith had a nice TD grab but wasn’t targeted nearly enough. The offensive line performed well on run blocking, though pass protection wasn’t as clean, and you can’t have a false start on the center. This week the focus needs to be on helping Reno bounce back along with a fortified plan of attack from a coaching staff that needs to do some soul searching.

Defensively, Yale was able to shut down Rhode Island’s running backs, but the Rams’ third-string quarterback and his talented receiving corps embarrassed our secondary. Right off the bat, the Bulldogs allowed a long QB run followed by a bomb over Webster and Daniyan. Eastep then whiffed on a ball that went for a long TD. Kamara and Daniyan missed a tackle on a short catch that led to a long run and field goal. Daniyan lost track of another target for a score in the third, and Banks lost a one-on-one battle for a score in the fourth. Across the board, we had veteran defensive backs looking lost out there, which again points to the theme of the day of being completely outcoached on every level. Johnson had a nice day along the defensive front, and Jackson-Bass made a few impactful plays including a sack, although he was cited for roughing the passer. Obviously, we would have liked to see more pressure on the QB generated by the down linemen to help the secondary. Grant was a bright spot on an otherwise painful day of football.

The return game was excellent, but issues with a snap on a PAT and an offside penalty on a successful onside recovery were blows to the Bulldogs. There’s a ton to clean up on a short week to get prepared for a tough matchup against the Quakers.

The Bulldogs host the University of Rhode Island Rams on Saturday at The Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon, and the game will air on ESPN+.

The Rams enter with a 3-3 record after a disappointing first half of the season with losses to Temple, Stony Brook and North Carolina A&T. Rhode Island was ranked ahead of Yale in most FCS preseason polls and opened the season with a convincing win over Merrimack, then had a respectable loss at Temple and a win over Elon before things fell apart in a 56-24 loss to Stony Brook. The following week saw a nail-biting loss to NC A&T, and then the Rams were able to get back in the win column over Brown, 13-10, prior to a bye week. Rhode Island will hit The Bowl fully refreshed after the bye week and motivated to get their season back on track.

The Rhode Island offense is led by junior QB Tyler Budge (6’3”, 210 lbs.), who has completed 55.6% of his passes for 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Budge has struggled with accuracy and decision-making at times but does have the ability to break loose with his legs as he averages 4.1 yards per carry. The rushing game is led by a committee with senior RB BJ Barrow (5’8”, 190 lbs.) as the top back and a former transfer from Stanford. Barrow averages a healthy 4.2 yards per carry and is supplemented by power runners such as sophomore RB Terrence Campbell (6’1”, 220 lbs.) and junior RB Gabe Winowich (6’1”, 217 lbs.), the latter of whom was a transfer from Rutgers. Backup junior QB Alex McClelland (6’2”, 215 lbs.) is also utilized in the rushing attack and is tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns alongside Campbell with three. The star of Rhode Island’s offense is returning All-American senior WR Marquis Buchanan (6’4”, 190 lbs.), who has hauled in 36 catches for 483 yards and 4 touchdowns through 6 games. Senior WR Aboraa Kwarteng (6’2”, 190 lbs.) is second on the squad with 15 catches for 161 yards and a score after starting his career at Sacred Heart. The Rams’ offensive line is massive, averaging 314.2 lbs. across the board, and is led by sophomore OL Damon McMillian, Jr. (6’3”, 335 lbs.), who was a Freshman All-American in 2025, and 2^nd Team All-CAA senior OL Tre Alexander (6’2”, 321 lbs.). The offensive line is strong in run blocking, paving the way for an average of 4.0 yards per carry or 147.3 rushing yards a game, while pass blocking has been an area of concern for the Rams with 11 sacks allowed. The Bulldogs will have to once again play very physically at the line of scrimmage with clean tackling to slow the rushing attack while putting heavy pressure on Budge to force errors. Buchanan might be the best receiver we will face all year, and simply playing a base coverage with a single corner or safety assigned to him will be disastrous.

Junior LB Rohan Davy (5’10”, 205 lbs.) is the leader of Rhode Island’s defense and returns after a 2^nd Team All-CAA season in 2025. Davy leads the Rams with 43 tackles, while fellow LB Dane Picariello (6’3”, 245 lbs.), a senior, is second on the squad with 37 tackles, after a storied career at Colgate. Completing the dynamic linebacker corps is senior LB Moses Meus (6’3”, 230 lbs.), who was a 3^rd Team All-CAA selection in 2025. Senior DB Andre DePina-Gray (6’1”, 216 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2025 and has played well this season with 35 tackles and 2 interceptions. Senior DB Trey Lubin (6’0”, 188 lbs.) is another returning starter in the secondary who batted down three passes two weeks ago versus Brown. Senior DB Tyson Grimm (6’1”, 215 lbs.) is very familiar with Yale following a four-year career at Dartmouth. Senior DL Case Mankins (6’3”, 245 lbs.) leads the Rams with 5 sacks and has seen playing time since his freshman season with the Rams. Opponents have had success on the ground and through the air against the Rams, as they have allowed 4.1 yards per carry and 7.3 yards per attempt, but the Rams really clamp down on opponents on third downs, as they have limited opponents to just a 35.0% success rate on third downs. It would be great to get HDK rolling in the running game again this week to churn the clock and open up big-play opportunities for Santiago, Anderson, Smith, Kemp, Reid or Wagner. Reno must be protected at all costs, as limping into the remainder of our Ivy schedule will not be fruitful.

Senior P Randy Leavitt (6’0”, 205 lbs.) averages 41.0 yards per punt and has placed 11 punts inside the red zone with a long of 66 yards. Rhode Island has utilized two kickers this season with senior K Ty Groff (5’10”, 180 lbs.) as the primary option, and he has connected on 4 of 6 attempts with a long of 43 yards. Barrow is a dangerous kick returner who will stress our kickoff coverage.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Rams!

The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 on the season after securing a signature Ivy win for Cahill over Dartmouth in a 28-7 contest at The Bowl.

Reno was spectacular once again, connecting with the unstoppable duo of Santiago and Anderson. Dante finished 28 of 37 for 325 passing yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in his first win over the Big Green. Ball placement was superb, allowing the receivers to haul in ridiculous catches, whether it was Kemp, Santiago, Anderson, or others. HDK hurdled and bowled over defenders en route to 174 rushing yards and a touchdown in a great outing. Adams added another six yards per carry, while Hopping had a few nice plays before suffering an injury. Santiago ranks 12th in the nation in receiving yards despite playing two to three fewer games than every leader above him and had another terrific showing with 13 catches for 147 yards and two TDs. Anderson added another eight catches for 95 yards, continuing a great season thus far. Jones has become another credible threat and hauled in a clutch two-point conversion. The offensive line again showed improvement, opening holes for the backs and picking up blitzes while allowing just one sack. Cahill might have been a bit too daring on two occasions, passing up field goal attempts in hopes of getting more, despite the historical record favoring taking field goals or extra points whenever possible against the Big Green to squeak by. The offense will need to come away with more red-zone points down the road, but overall, it moved the ball at will for much of the game.

Holding Saunier and the Big Green to just seven points, with their lone touchdown coming on a fourth-down play, is another feat for the Bulldogs. Cave had a big performance at end, collapsing the pocket on Saunier early on and stripping him of the ball on a late Dartmouth drive. Tate looked unblockable at times as he took control of the run game. Grant had another standout performance, while Partin had a few nice plays but was also called for a block in the back that brought back a Kamara touchdown. Webster was solid in coverage, but Barkley-Smith and Eastep struggled at times, allowing big plays. Kamara took matters into his own hands, literally deflecting a ball to himself and taking it back for a touchdown that was waved off. Daniyan had his ups and downs, although he made some very impactful plays, while Schmidt appeared to suffer an injury after a tackle. The minor gripes aside, the Bulldogs held the Ivy League’s top returning QB to 156 passing yards and -9 rushing yards. There are still broken coverages and occasional open running lanes, but the improvement has again been evident across the board since Week 2.

Keeney placed two punts inside the red zone and had a long of 51 yards on the day. Piper was perfect on field goal attempts from 43 and 25 yards in clutch moments.

The Yale Bulldogs host the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday at The Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPNU.

The Big Green enter the contest with a 1-2 record following a tough win over Penn last week. In Week 1, the Big Green nearly knocked off #7 Lehigh and likely would have emerged victorious if not for sloppy officiating. Week 2 saw a surprise loss for the Big Green at home vs. Monmouth, but Dartmouth responded by beating a much-improved Penn team that was playing well heading into the contest.

Senior QB Grayson Saunier (6’2”, 215 lbs.) is the top returning QB in the Ivy League and can beat teams with his arm or his feet. Saunier has shredded Yale since his sophomore season and leads a Big Green offense that is far more effective than that of any opponent faced to date. Saunier’s accuracy has not been spectacular at a 56.9% completion rate, but he rarely makes huge mistakes, with just one interception on the season, and he can use his powerful legs to run through arm tackles with ease. Sophomore RB Myles Craddock (5’8”, 200 lbs.) has speed and power and is ranked third in the Ivy League in rushing with 56 carries for 258 yards (4.6 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. The offensive line is not the most experienced unit, but it is solid all around, and Coach Clark has made it his life mission to prove us wrong on our past slights about his coaching ability during his tenure in New Haven. The offensive line averages 299.4 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 4.1 yards per carry on the ground with just 4 sacks surrendered in pass protection. Junior WR Ky’Dric Fisher (6’0”, 176 lbs.) is one of the most explosive athletes in FCS and is averaging 18.8 yards per reception. Senior WR Nick Lemon (5’11”, 194 lbs.) has stepped into a more prominent role this season and has been solid with 9 catches for 176 yards. Junior TE Kyle Meier (6’3”, 259 lbs.) is a huge target who is impactful in both the running and passing games. The Big Green will likely seek to lean on the ground game with both Craddock and Saunier before hitting the Bulldogs with deep shots to Fisher or exotic trick plays. Manhandling the Big Green up front is a prerequisite for keeping this game close.

The Big Green always feature a stout defense, and this year is no exception. Senior S Harrison Keith (6’0”, 205 lbs.) of Fairfield leads Dartmouth in tackles with 27, including 3 tackles for a loss. Sophomore DB Johnny Stephens (6’0”, 182 lbs.) earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades in the win over Penn with 13 tackles, including 5 stops on Penn’s final drive alone. Senior DB Cameron Best-Alston (6’3”, 220 lbs.) could be the largest defensive back in the Ivy League and is second on the team with 26 tackles. Senior LB Steve Simpkins Jr. (6’2”, 230 lbs.) is another physical specimen who has played well with 26 tackles and a forced fumble. Senior DE Joshua Johnson (6’2”, 281 lbs.) has seen action since his freshman season and is the leader of the defensive front with 14 tackles on the season. On the opposite side of Johnson is senior DE Bruce Williams (6’2”, 259 lbs.), who has been equally effective with 14 stops. The Big Green have allowed 4.3 yards per carry and 6.4 yards per passing attempt, so there will be opportunities for the Bulldogs, but it will all boil down to execution along the line of scrimmage. Hopefully HDK’s momentum from the Merrimack game will carry into this contest and keep Dartmouth from focusing its efforts entirely on destroying the Reno to Santiago or Reno to Anderson connections. Smith and Jones should be top options for dump-off passes under pressure. Why not throw a few exotic trick plays into the mix to end the Curse of Buddy Teevens? We know McCorkle is as giddy as a schoolgirl reviewing his trick play options to deploy, so let’s hit back with a few of our own.

Dartmouth has arguably the top field goal kicker in the Ivy League in senior Owen Zalc (5’10”, 160 lbs.), who has nailed two field goals of 50 yards or longer this season. Junior P Luke Armistead (6’1”, 202 lbs.) averages an impressive 45.1 yards per punt and can flip the field with his leg strength. This game could very well come down to a last-second field goal attempt, so limiting mental errors on special teams is as vital as ever.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Big Green!